July 24, 2007
Today’s interview is with Dan Darling, author of Teen People of the Bible (coming out in September, 07).
Suzie: Hey Dan, thanks for visiting Real Teen Faith. I just read Teen People of the Bible. It’s pretty amazing. How (or why) did you come up with this idea?
Dan: Well, I had a couple of teens who were struggling with their daily Bible reading. I was looking for a book that would really inspire them to open the Word and see that God speaks to them, today, in the midst of their real-life struggles.
I found a lot of great devos on the market—really great ones. But none that talked about the teens in the Bible. So the Lord laid on my heart to develop this project and it really took off from there.
Suzie: A lot of people put down teens. The other day I was flying home from a conference and someone was talking bad about teens. That’s frustrating to me. Do you think that this generation of teens are underestimated?
Dan: I think they are underestimated, Suzie. I know the feeling. I cringe when I hear older Christians say, “Kids today . . .” In reality, I see and know a lot of teens who are really boldly living out their faith.
Some the teens at my church, for instance, are really excited about walking with God and sharing their faith. In every generation, God raises up young people to do great things for him. And this generation is no different. Too many people—even church people—saddle young people with low expectations. They assume teens can’t make a difference until they are older.
But that’s not the message of the Bible. God often called young people to do dramatic and incredible things. Josiah was in his teens when he ruled over Israel. And he wasn’t the only one. Joash was a teenage king. David was anointed while a teen. Jeremiah was called to do great things as a young person.
Honestly, the Bible is full of incredible stories of young people who were called by God to make a difference in their world.
Suzie: Tell me about one teen in your book.
Dan: Of all the teens in my book, the one whose story really struck a chord with me was Josiah. His entire life was a miracle. Caught up in the genocide and revolution in Israel, he was saved from death by a godly aunt and uncle who kept him hid in a storage closet.
God spared his life—because he was a descendant of David and God had promised David that the Messiah (who would later be Jesus) would come from that family. This shows us that God answers his promises.
Later we see that Joash had what I call a hand-me-down faith. As long as he was surrounded by his aunt and uncle, he lived for God. But when they died, his faith quickly wavered. This shows me that every teen in every generation, even those who grow up in Christian homes, has to make a choice to live for God.
RTF: Tomorrow Suzie continues her interview with Dan Darling. He has a lot to say about writing, faith, and even tells us what kind of animal he’d like to be. Come back tomorrow!
Debbie says:
“I think they are underestimated, Suzie. I know the feeling. I cringe when I hear older Christians say, “Kids today . . .” In reality, I see and know a lot of teens who are really boldly living out their faith.”
That’s an AWESOME quote.
Sounds like a cool book. I’ll have to check it out. Does Dan Darling have a website??
your friend,
Debbie